It's a Wonderful Life
by native portlandian
Summary: "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" Based off the classic movie by Frank Capra. Oneshot.


Disclaimer – I don't own the Teen Titans or _It's a Wonderful Life_. But I was in the play last Christmas!

A/N – I'm gonna mention some heavy stuff today guys, and I know some of you are pretty sensitive to that. So if you don't want to hear about it, don't read. Trigger warnings: suicidal intentions, character death

…

Suicide: the act of intentionally taking one's own life. To catch the early train out. To bite the big one. To cash in one's chips. To tire of breathing. A lot of people said that it was the coward's way out. Raven wanted to believe that this was not true. She wanted to think that what she was doing was justified. That the bravest thing she could do was to kill herself before her father did.

She was sitting atop Titan's Tower, her body awash in silvery moonlight. The symbols of Scath shown red and hot on her skin, just beginning to show through her uniform. Her bare legs looked as though they were stained in blood. Which they probably soon would be.

It was kind of her friends to believe that they could help her. They wanted to fight through it, like they always had. It was how they had defeated every enemy that had come before them. But Raven knew, deep down, that this was an enemy they would not be able to conquer with fists and weapons. It rumbled deep inside of her, a dormant monster finally stirring. The only way to prevent her father from using her as the portal was to rid the world of that monster. And the only way to do that was to kill its home: herself.

The monks of Azarath had spoken of Elsewhere, which was apparently where spirits went after death. Raven had never believed in Elsewhere. She suspected that her soul would be headed to a much worse place. But that was the thing about being half demon, right? She had accepted this truth long ago. When it really came down to it, the souls of the billions of innocent outweighed her own. It was a necessary sacrifice.

Raven stood, her cloak billowing around her. She reached up to her neck, trying not to look at the glowing markers on her hands. Carefully, she unhooked her cloak and let it fall to the ground, becoming a puddle of navy blue fabric. She used her powers to fold it into a neat square, her hood laying softly over the top. Reaching into a pocket on the inside of her leotard, she pulled out a crisp, sealed envelope. On the front, written in neat script, were two words: _I'm sorry._ Inside were all of her official papers and an unofficial will.

Robin would be angry that she hadn't included an explanation. He'd want to know why she had committed such a deed. He would treat the entire situation like a crime scene, and probably shut himself in his room for a week. But in the end, he would be okay. Raven was not worried about Robin's reaction.

Cyborg might be a little more emotional. He'd probably be angry at first. Maybe he'd scour the ocean in the T-Sub, looking for her body. He'd spend a lot of time in the garage with the door locked, absolutely silent. But after he had finished grieving for her, he'd help to cheer everyone else up. Raven smiled slightly at the thought. Cyborg had a knack for making everyone smile in the dreariest of times.

Starfire would be absolutely distraught. This put a pang of regret in Raven's stomach. Starfire felt _so much_. The alien would be practically inconsolable. It was amazing, the amount of lung power and endurance Tameranians had. Starfire would most likely cry for three days straight, and then be unable to fly for another two weeks. Raven had heard stories of Tameranians that had actually _died_ from grief, but she knew Starfire was strong enough to live past Raven's death. Raven just hoped that the alien girl wouldn't sing the ten hour Tameranian grieving song at her funeral.

But of all of her teammates, Beast Boy's reaction worried Raven the most. The younger boy was so caring, so _attached_. And, truth be told, Raven had created a deep connection with Beast Boy in the two and a half years since the team was formed. He had so much hope. He'd probably be in denial over her death, and might even try to convince the rest of the team that she had just run away. Then he'd be angry. He'd curse her name, call her every conceivable insult. Maybe he'd sulk for a while, like he did with Terra. But Raven had faith that Beast Boy would fight through it. He always did. It might be a touchy subject for him for a long time, but that was to be expected.

A cold wind ruffled her chin-length hair. She pushed it back behind one ear, closing her eyes as she did so. The thought of all of her friends reacting to her departure drained her emotionally. But they would never find her body, she would make sure of that. She would fly out into the bay, as far as she could, before she let herself drop. Hopefully, the fall would kill her on impact. If that didn't work, all she had to do was sink into the deep, cold ocean.

Raven glanced back behind her at the door to the interior of the Tower. A flurry of emotion filled her stomach, and she pushed it down with some effort. Slade was right – she was nothing but a portal for her father. There was no escaping her destiny.

The edge of the Tower was so close. One more step, and she'd begin her one-way flight. Steeling herself, Raven clenched her fists and lifted her foot.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," quipped a voice. Raven spun around, almost falling off the edge of the building in surprise. Leaning against the pole where the volleyball net resided was a boy around her age, perhaps a little younger. His copper-colored hair, a little bit longer than Beast Boy's, flopped over into his eyes. He moved it out of the way with one slender hand, as if it were a minor annoyance. Raven stared at him in shock.

The boy shoved his hands into his pockets and strutted forward, a smirk on his face. Raven shook away her shock and immediately went into defense mode, dangerous blasts of magic gathering around her hands. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. The boy stepped back, holding up his hands in the international sign for surrender.

"Whoa there, Raven," he said slowly. "Just hold on a second. Let me explain what's going on here." Raven remained on guard, but let the threatening blasts of magic melt from her form. He let out a breath of relief and dropped his hands.

"Well?" the sorceress snapped. "Are you going to give me a reason why I shouldn't arrest you right now for trespassing and breaking and entering? Not to mention invasion of privacy."

The boy swiped a hand at the air, as if brushing away all of the offenses. "Never mind that, Raven," he said. "My name is Maxwell. And I guess I'm what you'd call a guardian angel!" His boyish face lit up in a smile, and Raven's eyes narrowed.

"You're not an angel," she said slowly. "You're a crazy fan-boy. And in ten seconds, I'm knocking you out and taking you to the JCPD."

Maxwell's eyes bugged slightly. "No!" he cried out. Raven stayed completely still, calculating how quickly she could get over to him and take him out. Maxwell's thick eyebrows drew together in concern. "Raven," he said. "Please trust me. How else would I have gotten past Cyborg's security system?"

"Someone could have helped you," she said, wishing she had her cloak on. The red brands on her skin stood out like flames. "Some villain with a tech fetish."

Maxwell shook his head, his shaggy copper hair falling around his ears. "Do I really look like a threat, Raven?"

"Not particularly. You look like a fourteen year old."

Maxwell chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But that's not the point. The point is, you are making a huge mistake here."

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "How would you know? You don't know me."

Maxwell pinched the bridge of his nose. With a sigh, he looked back up, crossing his arms across his chest. "You were born in the dimension Azarath, a product of the human woman Arella and the demon Trigon. You ran away at the age of thirteen. Your favorite color is blue. You had a two week crush on Aqualad. You –"

"Okay, I get it," Raven snapped, her face dark red from the last statement. "And aren't angels supposed to have wings?"

"Well, you have to earn them first," Maxwell explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "And if I prevent you from making this mistake, I might get a little bit closer to getting them." He smiled brightly. Raven looked down at the ground.

"What exactly is this mistake I'm making, Maxwell?" Her voice was low and droll. She was losing precious time. In only a few hours, her team would be waking up. She'd lose her chance to slip away.

"You can't kill yourself, Raven," Maxwell murmured. "Think of what you'd be doing. What would happen to your friends? Your team?"

"They'll get through it!" she barked. Tears were welling at the back of her eyes. She swiped at them angrily. "They're better off without me anyways."

"Do you really think that, Raven?" Maxwell asked. He was standing beside her now, hands jammed in his pockets. Raven drew away instinctively, painfully aware of the drop mere inches away.

"Yes," she whispered. It no longer mattered who she was taking to. The pain of the truth drove into her like a knife. "If it weren't for me, everyone would be happier. They'd work so much better as a team. The world wouldn't be ending in a couple of days." A tear dripped down her cheek. She ignored it, clenching her teeth tightly. "I never should have been born."

Maxwell was silent for a moment. "You think everything would be better if you hadn't been born?" he asked.

"I know it would," Raven murmured. "I wish I had never been born."

There was a crash of lightning, even though the sky had previously been empty of clouds. Raven let out a yelp of terror and fell back – into nothing. She plummeted to the ground at a terrible speed, a scream erupting from her mouth. _Fly, Raven, fly!_ Her thoughts yelled. But she couldn't. Her powers had become useless. She shut her eyes as tightly as possible and prayed her death would be quick.

…

The impact never came. Raven opened her eyes and found herself laying in a patch of crabgrass, as though she were waking from a dream. It was still night. The water lapped the rocky shore about twenty feet from where she lay. Beside her, her cloak was folded in the square she had left it, not a single piece of dirt marring the fabric. Her letter was gone. Feeling confused, Raven reached toward the familiar object. Her arm immediately went rigid. The marks of Scath were _gone_. Not faded. Not peeled away. _Gone_. Her uniform was in perfect condition, and her skin was its usual, unmarked gray.

"What the hell…?" she murmured, turning her hand over and over. Feeling slightly nauseous, she grabbed at her cloak and wrapped herself in its familiar, comforting warmth.

"Welcome back, Raven," said a voice from behind her. Raven turned slightly, finding Maxwell standing a few meters from her. But beyond the angel was an even more confusing sight – nothing.

The Tower was gone.

"What's going on?" she said, panic creeping into her voice. "Where's the Tower?"

"There is no Tower," Maxwell shrugged. He offered her a hand, which she ignored.

"Yes, there is," she insisted. "Titan's Tower. It's shaped like a T. I watched it be built. It can't just disappear like that!"

Maxwell shrugged again. This boy apparently had an endless well of patience. "Not anymore. In fact, there never was a Tower. No one even really sets foot on this island."

Raven stumbled to her feet, trying to look in every direction at once. In the distance, the lights of Jump City gleamed dully. "I don't understand," she mumbled. A slight breeze ruffled her hair, and she pulled her hood up. "What happened?"

"You got your wish," Maxwell said matter-of-factly. "You've never been born." Raven stared at the boy, almost dumbstruck.

"Of course I've been born," she snapped. "I'm right here." Maxwell cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, but you're no longer Raven," he explained. The sorceress shot him an incredulous stare.

"Who am I then?" she asked. Maxwell rocked back on his heels, as if this were a normal, casual conversation.

"No one," he answered. "Like I said, Raven was never born. You may have her looks and thoughts, but the real Raven never existed."

Raven shook her head in confusion. "Maxwell, where are my friends? If the Tower was never built, did they set up somewhere else?"

Maxwell cast his dark eyes down to his feet, as if ashamed of something. "Well, since you were never born, certain things have changed a little bit."

"Like what?" Raven asked slowly. She was afraid that the answer was already there, in the back of her mind.

"Raven, the Teen Titans were never formed," Maxwell said softly, looking her straight in the eyes. "You weren't there to hold them in one piece, to be the voice of reason." Raven swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest. The Titans were never formed?

"Where is everyone?" she asked again. "Maxwell, where's Starfire?"

Maxwell's eyes darkened. "The Citadel, I'd assume." Raven immediately rounded on the boy, her eyes wide with terror.

"What?!"

Maxwell nodded. "You see Raven, you weren't there to convince Robin that Starfire was just scared and confused. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were able to eventually return her to the Gordanians."

"No," she whispered, a hand over her mouth. "That can't be right."

"You're an important part of a lot of people's lives, Raven," Maxwell murmured. "Do you see that?"

Raven took a breath, looking out at the black horizon. "But what about Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy? Wouldn't they have been a team?" Maxwell didn't answer. Raven shook her head in frustration. "I need to find Robin." Without waiting for the young angel to put in anything, Raven took flight and headed for the city.

…

She landed atop a Wayne Enterprise building, her dark cloak enfolding her into the night. She needed to wrap her head around this whole situation. Apparently, Maxwell had somehow transferred her to a parallel universe; one in which she had never existed. Raven clenched her jaw as she traced back her history. What else had she accidentally played a large part in? Was she really important enough that the team couldn't form without her? She could imagine Robin working alone, and maybe Cyborg too. But Beast Boy had been searching for a team. He couldn't make it on his own, he wasn't confident enough.

An awful clench grabbed at her stomach when she imagined poor Starfire, a slave for the rest of her natural life unless she escaped again. Which would make her a fugitive. A shiver rolled down her spine. The lively, cheerful redhead who just wanted to love everyone – locked away. And it was _her_ fault. Well, technically, it wasn't. In her universe, she had saved her. But now all Raven felt was guilt.

"How exactly were you intending on finding Robin without my help?" It was Maxwell. Raven felt herself bristle. This angel boy was almost as annoying as Beast Boy.

"His emotional stamp," she answered. Truth be told, this was an incredibly taxing way of searching for someone in another universe. Emotional stamps, even between parallel beings, were very different.

Maxwell chuckled. "Can I at least give you a hint?" Raven kept her mouth closed, opting out of the conversation. She could practically hear Maxwell roll his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. So, let's recap. Two and a half years ago, Robin broke off his partnership with Batman. Ran away to Jump City, started picking up low-caliber crooks. But you already know that." He paused. Raven pretended that she was ignoring him, her violet eyes watching the cars below.

"Anyway," Maxwell continued. "When Starfire rocketed into Jump, Robin saw his big chance. And, like I said, with the help of Cyborg and BB, he was able to take down Starfire. But not without sustaining some injuries bad enough to put him out of commission."

Raven spun on her heel, a sudden fear spiking her heart. "He isn't dead, right?" Maxwell looked a little taken aback by her sudden involvement into his monologue.

"No," he answered. His gaze darkened. "But the Robin you knew and loved might as well be." Raven's eyes narrowed.

"Don't give me riddles, Maxwell," she spat. "What are you talking about?" Maxwell shrugged his narrow shoulders.

"You should probably see for yourself," he sighed. "You'll find him in the junk yards off of Green Street." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, she took off, ignoring the uneasy feeling Maxwell was giving off. She had to find her leader.

It didn't take that long to find her way to the junkyard – she had been there multiple times before. Her absence hadn't really affected the layout of Jump City, although it was looking a little more beat up than usual. And no one wandered the streets. This would usually make sense, considering it was closing in on three a.m., but there weren't even homeless people or late-night clubbers. There was no one at all.

Raven landed just beyond the gates of the junk yard. Distantly, she could hear the noises of what sounded like pounding earth and clanking. Battle? Raven lifted herself off of the ground slightly so not to make any footsteps. Beyond the mounds of garbage and rubbish, toward the middle of the dump, something like an arena had been cleared. In it, she could distantly see two figures standing about thirty feet apart. She crept closer, cursing her awful night vision. Why didn't she get any of the plus-sides of demon hood?

She crouched behind a desecrated car only a few feet from the makeshift arena. From here, she could see the two people much clearly. One of them she recognized immediately: Terra. The small blonde was breathing heavily amidst a cluster of rocks. Her bright blue eyes shown in the night like chips of ice. With mild surprise and a slight twinge of hurt, Raven realized that the geomancer was wearing the uniform Slade had given her.

_Terra works for Slade in this universe too? _

Raven didn't have time to ponder this thought, though, as Terra let out a scream of power and heaved one of the larger boulders at the second figure. The other person was small and lithe, and flipped out of the way of the incoming rock with an acrobat's grace. They were wearing an outfit very similar to Slade's in design, so Raven assumed this must be another follower of that awful man. The half of their face that Raven could see was covered entirely by a black mask. There weren't even apparent eyeholes. Could this be a Sladebot? Raven immediately dismissed the question. No Sladebot could move that easily.

The mystery person, without breaking for a millisecond, flung three knives in Terra's direction. The girl's eyes glowed bright yellow and she heaved a massive wall of earth before her, successfully embedding the knives in it. She then pushed it back in the other person's direction, a growl of effort escaping her lips. With barely an inch of space to spare, the black-and copper-clothed shadow dove under the descending wall of hard-packed dirt, rolled onto their feet, and resumed a battle position.

"Excellent," a voice hissed. Raven tensed. It was a voice she knew all too well. _Slade_. The man attached to the name detached from the shadows of the far trash mountain. He looked relatively the same, his singular dark eye bright with intensity. "You are both growing so well, my children." Both Terra and the unnamed apprentice turned and robotically bowed to the man. Raven could now see tufts of black hair sticking up from the side of the other adolescent's head. Apparently, the mask only covered half of his face.

"Do you think we're ready?" Terra asked. Raven cringed at how excited she sounded, even with the slight undercurrent of malice. Slade fixed the girl with an unblinking stare.

"Soon, dear Terra," he said softly. "Soon." He nodded at the second teenager and then started to walk back into the shadows. Terra followed. The other started to walk after them, but Terra turned toward him, an almost playful look on her face.

"Don't forget your knives, dingus," she teased. The unnamed teen stopped in his tracks. Terra snickered and followed Slade into the shadows. The black-clad figure stood still for a few moments, and then turned and started digging through the pile of rubble. Now Raven could see the uncovered half of his face. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest, and her surprise warbled past her lips on a choked note:

"Robin?"

The apprentice whipped toward the sound, a hand at his belt. She could now see him head-on. The black mask covered exactly half of his face; his costume covering the parts the mask couldn't reach. The other half of his head was bare. His wild black hair was a little bit shorter, and hung in his face slightly, as though he had stopped caring for it. His right eye was uncovered – it was a deep blue, like the ocean. A few more scars crossed his cheek than she remembered.

"Who's there?" Robin snapped. "Come out here and face me!"

Raven swallowed her fear; she knew full well how dangerous Robin could be. Hunched over slightly, she moved into his line of sight. It was sort of strange, seeing Robin without both eyes covered. She wasn't used to the way it followed her every move, sized her up, calculated her. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Who are you?" Robin asked briskly. "What are you doing here?" He was still in battle mode, one hand reaching for something on his belt.

She panicked. "Robin, it's me. It's Raven. We're friends!" She realized the mistake as soon as it was out of her mouth. In this world, she had never been born.

Robin's eye narrowed. "I don't have friends," he seethed. "And stop calling me that! I'm not Robin anymore. Who sent you? Was it Batman? The JLA?" Raven backed up slightly, the onslaught of questions battering her brain.

"No one sent me!" Raven pleaded. "Please, listen to me, Robin –"

"I told you not to call me that!" he bellowed. Without a second of hesitation, he unclipped a bomb of some sort from his belt and threw it at her. Raven barely had time to put up an energy shield, which it promptly bounced off and landed in a cluster of the rocks. As it detonated, rocks went everywhere. Robin was able to stay out of the way of most of them, but one clipped the edge of his half-mask. It clattered to the ground.

Raven let down her shield as Robin scrambled for the mask, one gloved hand trying to cover his exposed face. But she was quicker. Muttering an apology to the boy who had once been her friend, Raven used her powers to levitate the mask and bring it towards her.

Robin snarled up at her, filled with fury. "What do you want?" he yelled. "Do you want to laugh at me? Did Batman tell you about his fallen sidekick? Come to get a good look?" Raven was taken aback by this horrifying display of unbridled fury and angst that was this Robin. What had Slade done to him?

He had stopped yelling at her, and was instead giving her a stony glare. Slowly, he removed his hand from his face. Raven had to hold in a gasp. The side of her once-leader's face was horribly scarred with blackish-purple blotches. His left eye was blank and white, as though it had been bleached. The corner of his mouth curled up into a permanent sneer. His eyebrow was gone, and some patches of hair looked like they had fallen out and never grown back. Raven silently let the mask fall to the ground.

Robin picked it up and situated it back on his face. He glared at her, his one blue eye full of hate. "You're no threat," he growled. "After Slade's plan is put in motion, I'll be sure to kill you myself." With that, he whipped around and stalked into the shadows.

It took Raven three minutes to realize that she was crying.

…

She teleported to the outside of the dump gates, feeling too emotional to fly. The boy she had confronted had _not_ been Robin. It simply couldn't be. Robin was stronger than Slade; he had defeated his influence before! Raven swiped her fingers over her damp face, but it did nothing to staunch the steady stream of tears. Could her birth be the difference for his downfall?

"Raven," murmured Maxwell. The sorceress turned slowly, no longer surprised by the young angel's appearances and reappearances. Maxwell was standing by the locked gate, his thick eyebrows drawn together in sympathy. "I shouldn't have told you."

"No, I needed to know," she whispered. Her gaze drifted to her boots. "But, please, tell me what happened to him. Who hurt him?"

"Starfire did."

This surprised her. Raven turned back to Maxwell, shock stopping her tears for a moment. "What?"

Maxwell shuffled his feet. "Like I said, she's very hard to contain, even with help. A starbolt at point-blank range does not bode well."

Raven's stomach clenched. "And Slade? And Terra? Why is he with them?"

"Robin was put up in Jump City Hospital for three months, in a partial comatose state for part of it. Funded by a hushed up source. When he woke up, he was different. He had lost all of his confidence. And you know what Slade can do to those who aren't confident. Terra came along the same time she did in your universe, but never met the Titans. Slade got a hold of her very quickly." Maxwell cleared his throat as he finished.

"Slade brings out the worst in everyone," Raven murmured. Both of her friends were corrupted beyond repair. Stress crept into her head like a malicious ooze. "Will you take me to see Cyborg, Maxwell? If anyone's okay, it should be him."

Maxwell was silent. Raven waited a moment before turning to face him. "Well? Where is he? Is he evil too or something?" Her patience was growing thin. Maxwell wasn't meeting her gaze, instead seeming very interested in his shoes. Raven gritted her teeth. "Maxwell. I want to see Cyborg."

"I…don't think you do," he murmured, still not looking up. Raven hissed, her anger spiking. She grabbed the angel in a tendril of black energy, pulling his fear-filled face to her own.

"I do, you twit," she growled. "I can handle whatever shit has gone wrong for him because of me. Now take. Me. To. Him."

Maxwell blinked rapidly. "Okay, okay. Just put me down, please. I don't know how much the bosses would like my clothes getting wrinkled!"

Raven briefly considered tearing the boy's shirt to shreds, but put the idea away. He had a lot of precious information she needed. Calming down, she dropped Maxwell roughly on his feet. He stumbled a little and quickly ran both hands through his copper hair.

"It's just up the road," Maxwell stammered. "I'll walk you there. And Raven, I beg you to reconsider. You don't need to –"

"I do," she interrupted, adjusting her hood. "And I'm not reconsidering."

Maxwell sighed and began to lead the way up the road. "Suit yourself. Just don't make me say I told you so."

…

Fifteen minutes later, Raven sat on the carefully clipped grass under the glare of the moon, wishing she had listened. She was better off not knowing this particular fate; better off believing that Cyborg was out of Jump and living somewhere great. Hell, she'd rather see him in the HIVE, at least Bumblebee could keep him company.

Not here. Not at the Jump City Memorial Graveyard.

She ran her fingertips over the stone in front of her, letting them fall into the grooves that made up the epitaph:

_Victor Stone_

_Loving Son and Friend to All_

Maxwell had told her that he had put a gun to his temple not long after they should have met. Apparently, Raven hadn't been the only one looking for the easy way out. In one of their garage talks, Cyborg had told her that when he first got his gear, he lost all of his friends and scholarships. With his mother newly dead, his father had been even more distant. And Cy had also blamed him for ruining his life. "I thought I was a friendless freak," the half-robot had said. "It took finding you guys to convince myself that these deformities were really upgrades."

She hadn't said anything when Maxwell had shown her the grave. She had just knelt in front of it, waves of grief almost overwhelming her powers completely. She had remained in this position for ten minutes, barely breathing.

"Raven," Maxwell murmured. She didn't answer, continuing to stare at the words she had already memorized. "Do you want to see Beast Boy?" She didn't even blink.

"Is he here too?" she whispered. Her voice was low and toneless.

"No. You can't sit here grieving forever, Raven. It's almost dawn."

She took a long breath. He was right. "Is he evil?"

"No." Maxwell suddenly sounded much older than he looked. Eons older. "I think it's important for you to see your lack of impact on all of your teammates." She ran her hands one more time over Cyborg's grave.

"I'll go."

…

Maxwell directed her to central park, informing her that the boy in question was "halfway up the oak tree by the old picnic tables". This had warmed Raven's heart a little – some things never change.

She was now standing before said tree, her guts twisting in what could only be nervousness. The park was exactly as she remembered it, if a little bit more dingy and totally empty. Her heart clenched when she looked at a particular picnic table and imagined her team sitting there, enjoying hotdogs and each other's company. Had that really just been the other day? The memory was extremely clear – she could even remember the sour stench of the mustard Starfire had accidentally doused Robin in when she laughed at Cyborg's hotdog walrus teeth. She could feel Beast Boy's shoulder pressed to hers, and how ridiculously _warm_ he was. She had dumped water on his head.

Now the table was dark and empty, having never witnessed to these memories. Raven wrapped her cloak tighter around her and walked closer to the tree, squinting as she stared up into the branches. All she could see was darkness.

"Beast Boy," she hissed. Nothing stirred. She tried again, slightly louder. "Beast Boy!"

About ten feet up, a pair of luminous green eyes opened wide and fixed on her. It almost scared her, but Raven kept a stony face. She needed to be on her guard in case Beast Boy had developed some sort of aggression complex without her. The green eyes blinked twice, and Raven felt waves of surprise and slight embarrassment. A green cat stood on a tangle of branches, tail twitching, and began to hop down. Raven stepped back as the green cat leaped to the ground and promptly turned into the boy she recognized.

The first thing she noticed was that Beast Boy was still in his Doom Patrol uniform, complete with the ridiculous mask. Everything was a little bit small; sleeves came down to his mid-forearm instead of wrists, and his pants left a few inches of skin above his boots. He looked a little dirty, and some of his green hair was sticking out of the bottom of his mask.

"I-I'm really sorry," he stuttered. "I know you guys keep telling me to stop crashing in the park, but I just sorta fell asleep and –"

"Are you okay?" The phrase fell out of her mouth before she could stop it. Beast Boy's ears twitched slightly under the taut fabric of his mask, and his ramble stopped short.

"Um…" He glanced around, his signature canine digging into his lip. "I guess?"

"No evil thoughts?" she pressed. "No suicidal urges? No people looking for you?" Beast Boy's eyes widened. He held up his gloved hands, stepping back slightly.

"Whoa there, lady," he said. "You some sort of crazy shrink? Do you want to roost in my tree? 'Cause I was just thinking of getting a burrito or somethin'." He looked mildly terrified. Raven took a moment to calm herself.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm waiting for something to go horribly wrong." This did nothing to soothe Beast Boy. In fact, he looked more freaked out.

"Do I know you?" he asked slowly. "Are you gonna kill me or somethin'?"

Raven shook her head. "No, and I'm not going to kill you. I just needed to make sure you were okay."

Beast Boy cocked an eyebrow, intrigue flooding his eyes. "You were looking…for me?"

"Yes. You really aren't terribly hard to find."

The green teenager smiled slightly. "It's been a while since somebody has, I guess." A pang of sadness shot down Raven's back. Had Beast Boy been entirely alone this whole time?

"Where do you live, Beast Boy?" she asked. Beast Boy looked away, scratching at the hair at the back of his neck.

"Er…wherever, I guess," he murmured. A slight blush colored his cheeks. A dry chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Sorta like a hobo. I did crash with this guy for a while, but he…" A pause while he swallowed convulsively. "He's gone now."

Raven blinked in sympathy. Sorrow trickled from Beast Boy; she had a hunch she knew who this "guy" was. She decided to change the subject. "Why are you still wearing that mask?"

Beast Boy scrunched up his nose. "It protects my identity! I am – uh, was – a superhero." He smiled proudly, but Raven could see that it didn't reach his eyes.

"You're green. You don't have a secret identity." An odd sense of déjà vu came with the words. She wouldn't be surprised if she had said them before.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to argue, but stopped and thought about it. He pursed his lips and shrugged, pulling the mask off of his head and shoving it into his pocket. His hair was longer than what she remembered. It was wild and uncombed, and fell over his eyes slightly. He blew it out of the way, looking slightly annoyed. "I haven't cut this in a while, I guess." His ears poked out of the mess liked sails on a green sea.

Raven couldn't help it – she laughed a little. It was probably the stress of the night all wound up inside her, screwing with her emotions. Beast Boy giggled too.

"So who are you exactly?" he asked, eyes glittering with friendliness. She stared at him for a moment.

"Do you mind if I tell you a story, Beast Boy?"

…

They were sitting on the bench facing the hills beyond the city, the first signs of dawn painting the horizon. She had told this Beast Boy her whole story: who she was and where she came from, the Teen Titans, and the other people she had seen tonight. She left out Maxwell, instead just leaving her arrival in this universe vague. Beast Boy listened to her silently, ears pricking with interest when she mentioned him – or, well, the other him. When she finished, he was quiet, as though thinking.

"I can't really imagine spending so much time with that alien girl and, uh, Robin," he murmured at last. "But in your world they seem like really cool guys." He crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap, long hair falling over his eyes as he did so. "And…Cyborg, too. I never really got to talk to him. He spent a lot of time in his room."

"Yes," Raven murmured. She fixed her gaze on the brightening horizon, hoping Beast Boy couldn't see the tears filling her eyes at the thought of her friends. "I can't believe I'd give them up."

Beast Boy smiled slightly and reached over tentatively to wrap one of her hands in his own. Raven almost pulled away out of habit, but decided against it. The comfort was nice. "You're really cool, Raven," he said softly. "And I guess everyone really does _need_ you, huh?"

She let that sink in for a moment. Was it really her who kept the team grounded? Without her, would they all fall apart? Her heart thumped heavily as she remembered how they were all willing to do anything in their power to save her from her own destiny. Really, the last thing she wanted to do was take herself away. Maybe…maybe she should give her friends a chance to save her first.

The sun started to peek over the hills, and Raven threw up her free hand to block the sudden ray of brightness, blinking a few times. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself sitting on the edge of the Titan's Tower, watching the sun rise over the distant city. A burst of happiness lit up her stomach, and she had to take a moment to concentrate and not break a window. She stood and spun to face the door, nearly tripping over her own cloak. She allowed a small chuckle at her own clumsiness.

On the ground by the door sat an envelope. It was what she had intended to leave behind – all of her official papers and her will. She picked it up gently and turned it over to find that her old message had been scribbled out. Instead was a note:

_Raven,_

_Thanks for helping me out with my regular project. He really does need you. Stick around for all of them, not just Garfield._

_Maxwell Logan, Guardian Angel_

"Garfield?" Raven murmured. Whoever he was, apparently he had to deal with Maxwell 24/7, which was probably a chore. She shook her head and stuck the envelope into her cloak. Today, she would make breakfast for her friends.

…

A/N – This is the longest oneshot I have written, I think. I love _It's a Wonderful Life_, it's probably one of my favorite movies ever. As far as Maxwell goes, I just sorta want him to be Gar's cousin that died young or something. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED, DEAR READERS


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